Second Lt. Jacob Majok, U.S. Army
SYRACUSE -- He's a war orphan, a lost boy of Sudan who became a U.S. Citizen. Now, there's new honor for Jacob Majok as he moves up the ranks of the United States Army.
"It's a big honor. It's a big honor to me as a person. On the other hand, it's a big responsibility," Majok said. Beaming with pride, with his cousins looking on, Majok is promoted to Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
But his story begins as a young boy growing up in war-torn Sudan. He's lived through hell and back, losing his parents and three siblings to rebel fighting, living life as a refugee before finally finding peace here in the United States. "It has changed. Yeah, it has changed. All this time I live in the United States. It changes almost every day," Majok said.
A recent graduate of LeMoyne College, Majok decided to join the Army. Intelligent, articulate and driven, he's a survivor and a true testament to the power of the human spirit. "It is also a testament to the opportunities for folks like that in the United States," said Major General Robert Kasulke, Deputy Surgeon General, Mobilization, Readiness and Reserve Affairs. "We tend to forget that in our day to day things we do. But this opportunity is still existing in this country for folks like him," Major General Kasulke said.
Grateful for the chance to pave a new path forward, Majok promises to serve with honor and give back to a country that's given him so much. "There are a lot of people that I have met in the United States that have been on my side," Majok said. "They have been guiding me to do what it is today. With guidance, I think my future is ahead," he said.
Majok often thinks of his family who never made it out. He prays for peace and stability in Sudan and hopes for a brighter future there one day.
